editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Allison Aubrey is a correspondent for NPR News, where her stories can be heard on Morning Edition and All Things Considered. She's also a contributor to the PBS NewsHour. Aubrey is a 2016 winner of a James Beard Award in the category of "Best TV Segment" for a PBS/NPR collaboration. The series of stories included an investigation of the link between pesticides and the decline of bees and other pollinators, and a two-part series on food waste. Along with her colleagues on The Salt , Aubrey is winner of a 2012 James Beard Award for best food blog. She was also a nominee for a James Beard Award in 2013 for her broadcast radio coverage of food and nutrition. In 2009, Aubrey was awarded the American Society for Nutrition's Media Award for her reporting on food and nutrition. She was honored with the 2006 National Press Club Award for Consumer Journalism in radio and earned a 2005 Medical Evidence Fellowship by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Knight Foundation. She was alsoNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Allison AubreyMon, 04 Dec 2017 12:15:51 +0000Allison Aubreyhttp://kenw.org
Allison AubreyNobody likes the feeling of being left out, and when it happens, we tend to describe these experiences with the same words we use to talk about the physical pain of, say, a toothache. "People say, 'Oh, that hurts,' " says Nathan DeWall , a professor of psychology at the University of Kentucky. DeWall and his colleagues were curious about the crossover between physical pain and emotional pain, so they began a series of experiments several years back. In one study, they found that acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol) seemed to reduce the sting of rejection that people experienced after they were excluded from a virtual ball-tossing game. The pain pills seemed to dim activity in regions of the brain involved in processing social pain, according to brain imaging. "People knew they were getting left out [of the game], it just didn't bother them as much," DeWall explains. As part of the study, participants were given either acetaminophen or a placebo for three weeks. None of theTylenol May Help Ease The Pain Of Hurt Feelingshttp://kenw.org/post/tylenol-may-help-ease-pain-hurt-feelings
89714 as http://kenw.orgMon, 04 Dec 2017 10:14:00 +0000Tylenol May Help Ease The Pain Of Hurt FeelingsAllison AubreyIf you're gluten-free, you may turn up your nose at Aunt Betsey's macaroni and cheese. And what if you've got a vegan teenager in the family who'd like the Thanksgiving feast to be turkey-free? A poll from the University of Michigan finds that for families with a picky eater or someone on a special diet, holiday meals can be tricky. "About half of the families in the poll said that conflicts about food at holiday gatherings were a challenge for them ," says Sarah Clark , the co-director of the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health. And 55 percent of families said the time and cost of preparing special foods was part of the challenge. "So that's a substantial number of families having an emotional conflict this time of year," Clark says. Clark and her colleagues surveyed a national sample of parents about their experiences with teenagers and special diets. They found that about 1 in 6 families had a teen who has tried a gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, and/orIt's Not Just Politics. Food Can Stir Holiday Conflict, Toohttp://kenw.org/post/its-not-just-politics-food-can-stir-holiday-conflict-too
89197 as http://kenw.orgMon, 20 Nov 2017 10:04:00 +0000It's Not Just Politics. Food Can Stir Holiday Conflict, TooAllison AubreyJon McHann, 56, got started on prescription opioids the way a lot of adults in the U.S. did: He was in pain following an accident. In his case, it was a fall. "I hit my tailbone just right, and created a severe bulging disc" that required surgery, McHann says. McHann, who lives in Smithville, Tenn., expected to make a full recovery and go back to work as a heavy haul truck driver. But 10 years after his accident, he's still at home. "After the surgery the pain was just excruciating," McHann recalls. "I was unable to function." His spinal problems turned out to be more complicated and hard to treat. And he developed other health problems, too. He had several more surgical procedures for his back, but he got no relief. He says on days when his pain is through the roof, "I can't open my eyes because I know if I blink it's going to hurt." His doctor prescribed methadone, a powerful opioid. He stayed on the drug for seven years. "It helped immensely, it brought my pain down to a 5 or 6 [onIs There A Way To Keep Using Opioid Painkillers And Reduce Risk?http://kenw.org/post/there-way-keep-using-opiod-painkillers-and-reduce-risk
88941 as http://kenw.orgMon, 13 Nov 2017 10:02:00 +0000Is There A Way To Keep Using Opioid Painkillers And Reduce Risk?Allison AubreyScott Gottlieb, the Food and Drug Administration commissioner appointed by the Trump administration, has this in common with Michelle Obama: He wants to know what's in the food he eats. And this, it seems, includes calorie counts. Now, the FDA has released its guidance on implementing an Obama-era rule that requires chain restaurants and other food establishments to post calories on menus or menu boards. The mandate was written into the Affordable Care Act back in 2010. "The information we get in restaurants and take-out meals isn't consistently available," Gottlieb wrote in a release announcing the guidance. "At a time when more than a third of U.S. adults are obese and more people are trying to make healthier lifestyle decisions," Gottlieb added, "we know making informed choices about our diets has the potential to save and improve lives." The FDA will aim to implement the new rules by May 2018. And Gottlieb says he's "committed to making sure we implement these provisions in a wayYou Can't Hide From Calorie Counts: FDA Will Implement Obama-Era Rulehttp://kenw.org/post/you-cant-hide-calorie-counts-fda-will-implement-obama-era-rule
88808 as http://kenw.orgWed, 08 Nov 2017 19:19:00 +0000You Can't Hide From Calorie Counts: FDA Will Implement Obama-Era RuleAllison AubreyCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit DAVID GREENE, HOST: Artificial intelligence is making its way into everyday life. Digital assistants can help you make a grocery list or maybe keep your home climate-controlled. But what if the devices in your home got involved in raising your kids. Well, we have two stories today from NPR's health team on parenting in the age of Alexa. First NPR's Allison Aubrey reports on a talking device that toymaker Mattel pulled from the market. ALLISON AUBREY, BYLINE: When Mattel first introduced dolls that could talk back in the 1960s, this was considered novel. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Meet the most amazing doll all time... AUBREY: Pull a ring, and this doll could speak. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) CHATTY CATHY: Would you like pickle ice cream (laughter)? AUBREY: But what she couldn't do was listen or interact. And Chatty Cathy certainly could not send information to the cloud. Flash forward 50 years, and technology hasAmid Privacy Concerns, Mattel Shelved Planned Device For Kidshttp://kenw.org/post/mattel-shelved-its-aristotle-device-kids-over-privacy-concerns
88450 as http://kenw.orgMon, 30 Oct 2017 09:55:00 +0000Amid Privacy Concerns, Mattel Shelved Planned Device For KidsAllison AubreyAs deaths from opioid overdoses rise around the country, the city of Baltimore feels the weight of the epidemic. "I see the impact every single day," says Leana Wen , the city health commissioner. "We have two people in our city dying from overdose every day." As part of Baltimore's strategy to tackle the problem, Wen issued a blanket prescription for the opioid overdose drug naloxone, which often comes in a nasal spray, to all city residents in 2015. She says many deaths have been prevented by getting the drug into the hands of more people. But now, there's a problem: "We're out of money for purchasing Narcan [a brand of naloxone]. We're having to ration this medication," Wen says. People can purchase Narcan at pharmacies on their own. As we've reported , it's now sold at all Walgreens. But at a cost of about $125 a pop, many people can't afford it. Thursday, the Trump administration declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency , but many critics say it doesn't go far enoughCounting The Heavy Cost Of Care In The Age Of Opioids http://kenw.org/post/counting-heavy-cost-care-age-opioids
88396 as http://kenw.orgSat, 28 Oct 2017 00:18:00 +0000Counting The Heavy Cost Of Care In The Age Of Opioids Allison AubreyWhat counts as dietary fiber? That's up for debate. The Food and Drug Administration is reviewing 26 ingredients that food manufacturers use to bulk up the fiber content of processed foods to determine if there's a health benefit. If you're a nutrition-label reader, the list includes some familiar-ish sounding ingredients — such as inulin , which is often sourced from chicory root. Other ingredients on the "do-these-count-as-fiber?" list include gum acacia, bamboo fiber, retrograded corn starch, and — get ready for a tongue-twister — xylooligosaccharides. Some of these fibers are extracted from plant sources, while others are synthetic. Some critics argue that the FDA should not allow these added fibers to count as fiber on nutrition facts labels. "The food industry has hijacked the advice to eat more fiber by putting isolated, highly processed fiber into what are essentially junk foods," says Bonnie Liebman of the consumer group Center for Science in the Public Interest. A bunch ofThe FDA Will Decide Whether 26 Ingredients Count As Fiberhttp://kenw.org/post/fda-will-decide-if-these-26-ingredients-count-fiber
88192 as http://kenw.orgMon, 23 Oct 2017 14:37:00 +0000The FDA Will Decide Whether 26 Ingredients Count As FiberAllison AubreyFrom fires and hurricanes, to confrontational politics — with all that's been going on, it's no wonder the American Psychological Association found an increase in Americans' stress levels over the last year. Our constant checking of smartphones — with the bombardment of news and social media — can amp up our anxiety. So, why not use your device to help you disconnect? Mindfulness apps, such as Simply Being , are an increasingly popular way to help manage stress. Using this app, you can tap into a soundtrack of soothing sounds to help clear your mind. (Cue babbling brook, singing birds, meditation gongs!) The idea behind mindfulness is simple to explain, but hard to execute. The goal is to focus on the present moment, and to let go of regrets of the past or worries about the future. And some researchers say apps can be a useful tool to assist this practice. "I think they can be helpful," says Dr. Stuart Eisendrath , a psychiatrist at the University of California, San Francisco whoMindfulness Apps Aim To Help People Disconnect From Stresshttp://kenw.org/post/mindfulness-apps-aim-help-people-disconnect-stress
87963 as http://kenw.orgMon, 16 Oct 2017 09:05:00 +0000Mindfulness Apps Aim To Help People Disconnect From StressAllison AubreyResearch that helped discover the clocks running in every cell in our bodies earned three scientists a Nobel Prize in medicine on Monday. "With exquisite precision, our inner clock adapts our physiology to the dramatically different phases of the day," the Nobel Prize committee wrote of the work of Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael W. Young. "The clock regulates critical functions such as behavior, hormone levels, sleep, body temperature and metabolism." We humans are time-keeping machines. And it seems we need regular sleeping and eating schedules to keep all of our clocks in sync. Studies show that if we mess with the body's natural sleep-wake cycle — say, by working an overnight shift, taking a trans-Atlantic flight or staying up all night with a new baby or puppy — we pay the price. Our blood pressure goes up, hunger hormones get thrown off and blood sugar control goes south. We can all recover from an occasional all-nighter, an episode of jet lag or short-termHow Messing With Our Body Clocks Can Raise Alarms With Healthhttp://kenw.org/post/how-messing-our-body-clocks-can-raise-alarms-health
87471 as http://kenw.orgMon, 02 Oct 2017 16:35:00 +0000How Messing With Our Body Clocks Can Raise Alarms With HealthAllison AubreyChicken nuggets. French fries. Pizza. Repeat. This repertoire of kids menu items may seem familiar to many families, but one fast-casual chain aims to put a lot more options in front of its young customers. Beginning this month, there's a kid-sized version of almost everything on Panera's regular menu. The portion shrinks, as does the price. "Kids now have the choice of 250 different combinations," Panera CEO Ron Shaich told NPR. So, how about a Greek salad with greens and quinoa? Squash soup or a whole-grain flatbread with turkey and cranberries? Maybe these could expand kids' palates. Shaich announced these changes in a video in which he also challenged the CEOs of fast-food chains to re-examine their kids meal options, which he says can be "nutritional nightmares." He says kids meals at many chains almost always come with french fries, promotional toys and often sugary drinks, too. "I challenge the CEOs of McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King to eat off of their kids menu for a week,More Healthful Kids Meals? Panera CEO Dishes Out A Challenge http://kenw.org/post/more-healthful-kids-meals-panera-ceo-dishes-out-challenge
87273 as http://kenw.orgTue, 26 Sep 2017 16:54:00 +0000More Healthful Kids Meals? Panera CEO Dishes Out A Challenge Allison AubreyAn estimated 4 percent of Americans have food allergies , and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has concluded that allergies are a growing public health concern. But diagnosing allergies can be tricky, and kids can outgrow them, too. Now, a new study sheds light on the effectiveness of a test called a food challenge to determine whether a person can tolerate a food they once reacted to. Jula Cieciuch, a fifth-grader who lives in Telluride, Colo., recently took a food challenge to find out if she was still allergic to eggs. When she passed, she was ecstatic. After years of avoiding all foods with eggs, she was a bit shocked. "For so long, it was: You can't eat this. You can't eat this," Jula says. " I was very emotional!" She's also outgrown allergies to walnuts and almonds. "It's a huge relief ... it has really opened up her diet — a lot," her mom, Kendall Cieciuch, told us. Once you can eat eggs, you can eat cakes and breads and frittatas, and lots of other baked goods.This Test Can Determine Whether You've Outgrown A Food Allergyhttp://kenw.org/post/test-can-determine-whether-youve-outgrown-food-allergy
87215 as http://kenw.orgMon, 25 Sep 2017 09:03:00 +0000This Test Can Determine Whether You've Outgrown A Food AllergyAllison AubreyAn estimated 133 billion pounds of food is wasted in the U.S. each year, enough to fill Chicago's Willis Tower 44 times. Globally, 1.3 billion tons of food is lost or wasted annually. And one major culprit? The confusion over "date" labels on foods. Once a "sell by" date has passed, lots of us have tossed out food that's perfectly safe to eat . The typical family in the U.S. spends about $1,500 on food that is thrown away. This adds up to billions of dollars of waste. A new initiative, announced Wednesday, aims to harmonize "use by" labels around the globe. The Consumer Goods Forum , a network of 400 of the largest food and consumer goods companies around the globe — including Walmart, Kellogg, Nestle, Campbell Soup, and Amazon — is asking retailers and food producers to take steps to simplify date labels. "The goal is to simplify and harmonize food date labeling around the world to reduce consumer confusion," Ignacio Gavilan, director of sustainability at the Consumer Goods Forum,Global Plan To Streamline 'Use By' Food Labels Aims To Cut Food Waste http://kenw.org/post/global-plan-streamline-use-food-labels-aims-cut-food-waste
87072 as http://kenw.orgWed, 20 Sep 2017 10:00:00 +0000Global Plan To Streamline 'Use By' Food Labels Aims To Cut Food Waste Allison AubreyEarlier this year, when Emily Chodos was about 25 weeks into her pregnancy, she woke up one night feeling horrible. "My hands were tremoring, my heart racing, " recalls Chodos, who lives near New Haven, Conn. She couldn't take a deep breath. "I'd never felt so out of control of my body." She ended up paging her obstetrician's office at 4 a.m., and one of the midwives in the practice, after listening to her symptoms, said, "It sounds like you're having a panic attack." Chodos was advised to take an antianxiety medication — Xanax. "I was afraid to take it, as a pregnant woman," Chodos says. But she was miserable, so eventually decided to take the medicine that night. Chodos, who is a nurse, knew that there are concerns about drugs like Xanax and other medications its class-- benzodiazepines. Studies completed decades ago suggested a risk of birth defects from these drugs, but data from more recent studies have shown no clear evidence of an increase . There are remaining questions,Xanax Or Zoloft For Moms-To-Be: A New Study Assesses Safetyhttp://kenw.org/post/xanax-or-zoloft-moms-be-new-study-assesses-safety
87006 as http://kenw.orgMon, 18 Sep 2017 09:05:00 +0000Xanax Or Zoloft For Moms-To-Be: A New Study Assesses SafetyAllison AubreyIs One Drink OK For Pregnant Women? Around The Globe, The Answer Is Nohttp://kenw.org/post/one-drink-ok-pregnant-women-around-globe-answer-no
86821 as http://kenw.orgTue, 12 Sep 2017 10:00:00 +0000Is One Drink OK For Pregnant Women? Around The Globe, The Answer Is NoAllison AubreyIt's not lost on beverage makers that consumers are drinking fewer sodas as they aim to cut back on sugar. "Sugar is now the number one item that consumers want to avoid in their diets," says Darren Seifer , a food and beverage industry analyst with the NPD Group. The message to consume less is coming from health experts around the globe. It's a challenge for the beverage industry, as is the fact that many consumers don't like the idea of artificial sweeteners found in diet drinks. So, the search for new, alternative sweeteners that can appeal to consumers' changing tastes is in full swing. And Coca-Cola has turned to crowd-sourcing. The company has launched a competition on the crowd-sourcing platform HeroX. According to this description on Coca-Cola's corporate website, Coke is seeking "a naturally sourced, safe, low- or no-calorie compound that creates the taste sensation of sugar when used in beverages." The company says, "one grand prize winner will be awarded $1 million inCoca-Cola Offers A Sweet Quest: A Million Bucks To Replace Sugarhttp://kenw.org/post/coca-cola-offers-sweet-quest-million-bucks-replace-sugar
86542 as http://kenw.orgMon, 04 Sep 2017 09:10:00 +0000Coca-Cola Offers A Sweet Quest: A Million Bucks To Replace SugarAllison AubreyMoney can't buy happiness, right? Well, some researchers beg to differ. They say it depends on how you spend it. A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that when people spend money on time-saving services such as a house cleaner, lawn care or grocery delivery, it can make them feel a little happier. By comparison, money spent on material purchases — aka things — does not boost positive emotions the way we might expect. Think of it as a way to buy back what has become for many Americans a scarce resource: free time. Yet, in a culture where many people are quick to buy the latest model phone, a big-screen TV or a fancy pair of shoes, those same people are often resistant to spending money on time-saving services. "Contemplating paying somebody else to do something you're perfectly capable of doing yourself may provoke feelings of guilt," says Elizabeth Dunn , a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia and an author ofNeed A Happiness Boost? Spend Your Money To Buy Time, Not More Stuffhttp://kenw.org/post/need-happiness-boost-spend-your-money-buy-time-not-more-stuff
86273 as http://kenw.orgMon, 28 Aug 2017 09:08:00 +0000Need A Happiness Boost? Spend Your Money To Buy Time, Not More StuffAllison AubreyIf one glass of wine takes the edge off, why not drink a few more? This thinking may help explain the findings of a new study that points to an increase in drinking among adults in the U.S., especially women. "We found that both alcohol use and high-risk drinking, which is sometimes called binge-drinking, increased over time," says Deborah Hasin , a professor of epidemiology at the Columbia University Medical Center and an author of the study. To assess drinking trends, researchers conducted face-to-face interviews with thousands of adults. Researchers asked a series of questions, such as: Did you ever drink four or more drinks on an occasion, and if so, how often? The study compares the findings from two surveys. One was carried out in 2001-2002; the other was from 2012-2013. So what's behind the increase? The study wasn't designed to answer this question, but Hasin says there could be a combination of factors. "Increasing numbers of people feel pessimistic about their economicWith Heavy Drinking On The Rise, How Much Is Too Much?http://kenw.org/post/women-who-love-wine-are-you-binge-drinking-without-realizing-it
85905 as http://kenw.orgWed, 16 Aug 2017 22:00:00 +0000With Heavy Drinking On The Rise, How Much Is Too Much?Allison AubreyWhat we eat can influence more than our waistlines. It turns out, our diets also help determine what we smell like. A recent study found that women preferred the body odor of men who ate a lot of fruits and vegetables, whereas men who ate a lot of refined carbohydrates (think bread, pasta) gave off a smell that was less appealing. Skeptical? At first, I was, too. I thought this line of inquiry must have been dreamed up by the produce industry. (Makes a good marketing campaign, right?) But it's legit. "We've known for a while that odor is an important component of attractiveness, especially for women," says Ian Stephen of Macquarie University in Australia. He studies evolution, genetics and psychology and is an author of the study. From an evolutionary perspective, scientists say our sweat can help signal our health status and could possibly play a role in helping to attract a mate. How did scientists evaluate the link between diet and the attractiveness of body odor? They began byMen, Listen Up: Women Like The Smell Of Guys Who Eat A Certain Diethttp://kenw.org/post/men-listen-women-smell-guys-who-eat-certain-diet
85782 as http://kenw.orgMon, 14 Aug 2017 09:01:00 +0000Men, Listen Up: Women Like The Smell Of Guys Who Eat A Certain DietAllison AubreyWhen my editors asked me to report on forest bathing, I packed a swimsuit. I assumed it must involve a dip in the water. It turns out, my interpretation was too literal. I met certified Forest Therapy guide Melanie Choukas-Bradley and several other women who'd come along for the adventure at the footbridge to Theodore Roosevelt Island, a dense jungle of an urban forest along the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Here, I began to get it. Forest bathing isn't a bath. We sat on the banks of the river, but we did not get in the water. It's not a hike, either. We did walk the forest trails, but we meandered with no particular destination in mind. The aim of forest bathing, Choukas-Bradley explained, is to slow down and become immersed in the natural environment. She helped us tune in to the smells, textures, tastes and sights of the forest. We took in our surroundings by using all our senses. As we passed through a stand of pawpaw trees, we touched the bark. We smelled the black walnuts,Forest Bathing: A Retreat To Nature Can Boost Immunity And Moodhttp://kenw.org/post/forest-bathing-retreat-nature-can-boost-immunity-and-mood
84801 as http://kenw.orgMon, 17 Jul 2017 09:01:00 +0000Forest Bathing: A Retreat To Nature Can Boost Immunity And MoodAllison AubreyIf you're tired of popping pain medicine for your lower back pain, yoga may be a good alternative. New research finds that a yoga class designed specifically for back pain can be as safe and effective as physical therapy in easing pain. The yoga protocol was developed by researchers at Boston Medical Center with input from yoga teachers, doctors and physical therapists. During the class, trained instructors guide participants through gentle poses, including cat-cow, triangle pose and child's pose. Simple relaxation techniques are part of the class as well. More difficult poses, such as inversions, are avoided. A guidebook that details the poses taught during the class is freely available, as is a teacher training manual . The findings, published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine , are in line with new guidelines for treating back pain from the American College of Physicians. The group recommends that people with back pain should avoid pain medicines if possible, and instead optStudy Finds Yoga Can Help Back Pain, But Keep It Gentle, With These Poseshttp://kenw.org/post/study-finds-yoga-can-help-back-pain-keep-it-gentle-these-poses
83898 as http://kenw.orgTue, 20 Jun 2017 09:07:00 +0000Study Finds Yoga Can Help Back Pain, But Keep It Gentle, With These Poses